He real Madrid secured a 91-87 victory against EA7 Milan that assures them the ‘playoffs’, with Dzanan Musa stellar in scoring, helped by Mario Hezonja and the usual Walter Tavares, stopping the winning streak of the Italians.
Tavares began by crushing the Italian hoop. His first 6 points were destroying the rival hoop after as many offensive rebounds, without Johannes Woigtmann or Nicolo Melli being able to do anything. Dzanan Musa also started plugged in and between the two of them and exclusively they took the Real Madrid score past the halfway point of the first quarter.
But the Milan team, with Billy Baron and Melli, knew how to put their team ahead on the scoreboard, 10-18 (min.5.15). The defenses weren’t good enough to stop the opponent’s attacks and the entrance of Guerschon Yabusele, with 5 almost instantaneous points, which led the comeback, attested to this. The even first act ended with a 24-23 score.
At the start of the second, Fabien Causeur, with two consecutive three-pointers without a miss, 30-23, led Real Madrid’s reaction, which came to dominate, with meager advantages the marker, before the putting into action of the defense of both teams. Stefano Tonut and Shabazz Napier took center stage at EA7 Milan, while Sergio ‘Chacho’ Rodríguez led the white helm for many minutes.
It took the Italians 6 minutes to level the contest, 34-34, to go ahead 36-40 with 90 seconds to go before the break. Real Madrid, supported by the good defense by Rudy Fernández and on the points by Tavares and Musa On his return to the track, he managed to reverse the situation and reach the locker room with the score in his favor, 42-40. Musa and Tavares, Baron and Melli starred again in the first minutes of the restart, 49-45 (m.22.30), with Gabriel Deck who opened his account with the completion of a counterattack.
EA7 was proving that its last six consecutive victories were not the result of chance or luck and Real Madrid, in their seventh game in 12 days, struggled to stay on the scoreboard and find a loophole to take advantage, 52-53 (m.24.30).
The third staff in Tavares attack56-58 (m.26.30), followed by a technique, sent the Cape Verdean to the bench and Real Madrid in doubt, although Mario Hezonja, with 9 consecutive points, was the first to step forward so that the third quarter It would end even, 67-66.
A dunk by Hezonja and a triple by Kevin Pangos, 69-69, was the presentation card of the last quarter for both teams. Every possession, every basket, every miss, every shot, every personal, every turnover. It meant alternating on the scoreboard and raising the tension a little more. With Musa sowing terror in the transalpine defense and Napier directing the visitors, the game was approaching an uncertain end.
Real Madrid was the first to make their bet, 81-76 (m.35.20), and Milan took time but reappeared, 83-81 (m.38). A triple from Napier put the tie at 84 with a minute to go, but Real Madrid gritted his teeth on defense and ended up picking up a 91-87 victory that smells like playoff
Data sheet
91 – Real Madrid (24+18+25+24): Hanga (3), Hezonja (12), Deck (6), Musa (27) and Tavares (17) -starting five-, Causeur (6), Rudy Fernández (0), Abalde (0), Sergio Rodríguez (2 ), Yabusele (12) and Poirier (6).
87 – EA7 Milan (23+17+26+21): Luwawu-Cabarrot (2), Melli (16), Baron (14), Napier (17) and Voigtmann (3) -starting five-, Davies (10), Pangos (9), Tonut (14), Ricci (0 ) and Hines (2).
referees: Sasa Pukl (ESL), Fernando Rocha (POR) and Luka Kardum (CRO). Billy Baron (min.35) and Adam Hanga (m.27.30) were eliminated by five personal.
incidents: Match corresponding to the twenty-ninth day of the Euroleague played at the Palacio de Los Deportes (WiZink Center) in Madrid before 7,114 spectators. In the run-up, Giorgio Armani, owner of the Italian team, received a Real Madrid shirt from Sergio Rodríguez, former player of the Milan team.